


can i pet your dog?

by joshllyman



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22886506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshllyman/pseuds/joshllyman
Summary: Bokuto's enjoying his normal Saturday morning activities when a puppy comes barreling into his arms, changing the course of his morning--and possibly his life.
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 19
Kudos: 111





	can i pet your dog?

Bokuto would like to say he doesn’t make it a habit to hang out in the dog park on Saturday mornings, except then he’d be lying, and he definitely doesn’t make it a habit to lie.

So what if he gets his weekend coffee and then casually sits on the bench at the park to watch the dogs and their people? So what if he doesn’t have a dog himself? Is it a crime to go to the dog park without a dog?

“It’s not a crime, per se,” Akaashi says, one eyebrow raised when Bokuto frets in his general direction one afternoon as they ride the train home from work. Another passenger shifts away from the pair of them. “It’s just kind of strange.”

“What do  _ you _ do on Saturday mornings?” Bokuto presses.

The train lurches, and Akaashi grips Bokuto’s waist a little tighter to hang on. “I sleep in. Until at least noon.”

That does explain why Bokuto’s early morning video game requests get ignored. “How can you sleep when there’s so much stuff to do?”

“Very easily, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto ponders that. His Saturday morning generally involves getting up around six for an early morning run and workout, then a shower, breakfast, a walk down to the coffee shop, and time at the dog park. He can’t imagine giving any of that up. “You’re very strange, Akaashi.”

Akaashi smiles, that very small smile that Bokuto’s never seen him give anyone else. “Most people would say that about you.”

Bokuto’s still thinking about it when Saturday morning rolls around and he’s got his coffee in his hand. It’s just past ten, which means the early morning folk are just starting to arrive at the park. There’s a Shiba Inu that usually comes around 10:30 that he likes to watch, so he doubles his pace and hurries to the park. 

Bokuto takes up residence on his usual bench when he arrives at the park. There’s a pair of aging golden retrievers sniffing intently at a patch of grass nearby; some tiny terriers run around in a circle and yap at each other. The dog owners mill about in the center of the park with their leashes hanging loose from their hands.

Bokuto sighs contently at the sight. The dogs are happy and carefree here, and it brings him peace to watch them. Some morning he should really drag Akaashi out here so he can understand what Bokuto sees in this activity.

He’s studying a Staffordshire that’s running haphazardly through the creek when something crashes suddenly into him from the left. “Ow,” he says, mostly out of habit, and he rubs at his arm and looks down to see what collided with him. On the bench beside him sits a puppy, a tiny thing, all wire haired and wriggling. At some point the puppy was probably tan, although he’s dirty enough now that he’s more brown than anything. He yaps twice at Bokuto, who reaches down and pets him.

“Where’s your mom or dad got off to?” he asks. The puppy rolls over immediately for belly rubs, and Bokuto shrugs and obliges. His hands are filthy now, but it’s worth it to bring joy to the little creature, whose entire body is wagging. After a moment the puppy jumps into his arms, getting mud all over the front of his shirt and leaving muddy little pawprints on his pants.

“Are you planning to do my laundry, then?” Bokuto jokes as the puppy settles himself comfortably in Bokuto’s hold. 

“Is that my dog?” a man asks, jogging up to him.

The puppy in Bokuto’s arms yips and shivers and shakes, and Bokuto assumes this must, in fact, be his dog. “Sorry, he came running over to me. I figured it would be best to just hang on to him.”

Bokuto takes a moment to take in the man’s appearance. He doesn’t recognize him from previous trips to the park, but he’s guessing the puppy is new, based on the shininess of the tags hanging from his collar. He’s tall with messy black hair spiking up, and has--if Bokuto allows himself to think about it for more than a moment--really beautiful hazel eyes. And he does think about it for a moment, and then he realizes the man is staring down at him, waiting for him to speak.

“Oh, um. Can I pet your dog?”

The man laughs, caught off guard, and smiles down at Bokuto. “Do I know you?”

“I...don’t think so?” Bokuto offers, and the puppy wriggles in his arms.

The man sits down beside him. “Kuroo Tetsurou,” he says. “I’d offer you a hand but yours are pretty dirty, thanks to this little devil. He seemed to think you were a good playmate.”

“He’s very cute,” Bokuto says. “I hope he hasn’t been gone too long.”

“He made a beeline for you as soon as I put him down,” Kuroo answers. “He seemed to think it was very important that we meet. And I still haven’t caught your name.”

_ Shit _ . “I’m sorry, it’s Bokuto. Bokuto Koutarou. I’m sorry I accidentally dognapped him. What’s his name?”

“Hayate,” Kuroo answers. Bokuto looks back at the dog, who is...decidedly not smooth-coated. He’s guessing there’s a joke in there somewhere. “Where’s your dog? Running around somewhere?”

Bokuto’s entire face reddens. “I, uh. Don’t actually have a dog? I just like them a lot but I work really long hours so I can’t have one of my own but I like to come to the park Saturday mornings so I can see other people’s dogs because they’re really sweet and maybe someday I won’t work quite as much and I can have my own?” 

He realizes immediately he’s just rambled on to this stranger, and he turns his head away. “Sorry,” he says again, very quietly.

Kuroo huffs a laugh when Hayate wriggles out of Bokuto’s arms to settle in between them, calmly laying with his head on his paws. “Hayate, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to set me up with Bokuto here.”

“Oh!” Bokuto says, and Kuroo laughs when Hayate wags his tail once. “Well, I do like guys, I’m bisexual, so I don’t know how he knew that but I’m single and I could be interested if you thought you were interested?” He pauses, looking at the way Kuroo’s holding back a smile, and lets out a sigh. “I’m rambling. Again. Sorry.”

“If you wanted,” Kuroo says, looking Bokuto in the eye, “you could spend the rest of the morning with us. We were going to get brunch after we were done here. My treat, as an apology for my dog ruining your clothing.”

Bokuto blinks. “Are...are you sure? I wouldn’t want to be a bother.”

Kuroo bites his lip, then slides his hand over so that his fingers just brush Bokuto’s thigh. “I think you’re really cute, Bokuto. I’ve only had Hayate a week but he seemed to suss out my taste in guys pretty well. Let me take you to lunch?”

Bokuto looks down at Hayate, who’s wagging slowly. “If you really want...I’d really like that,” Bokuto says, and Hayate wags twice before hopping off the bench.

“Hayate!” Kuroo and Bokuto call together. They look at each other once, grinning madly, and set off after the puppy.


End file.
